Once Human
by Trunks Ichijouji
Summary: *FOREVER UNFINISHED; WILL NOT BE CONTINUING THIS STORY* Paige returns after missing for some time, though something has happened to her, something life altering. In a state of mental insanity, can Piper and Phoebe help Paige and get the person who did this to her.
1. Coming Home

A/N: This is meant to be a Paige focused fanfic. It's set sometime where Cole is gone (sadly), but Piper isn't pregnant, nor had Wyatt, and Leo didn't become an Elder.

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            Darryl pulled up to the manor. Putting the car in park and removing the keys from the ignition he glanced over at Paige. Her eye's kept steady on his dashboard like that had been the entire ride. He exited his car door, and walked around to the other side of the car. When he opened the door, Paige remained there motionless. He cautiously reached over to unbuckle her seatbelt and hesitatively took her hand to lead her out. Paige began to tense up at his touch, but a quick, comforting smile from Darryl relaxed her. He noticed his coat begin to slip off her shoulders and readjusted more tightly about her, even buttoning a button. After leading her up the steps of the manor, he rung the doorbell. Impatients getting the best of him, he was about to ring it again when Piper opened the door.

"Hey, Darryl." She greeted cheerfully. She quickly noticed her baby sister behind him. "Paige, oh my gosh! We've been worried sick about you." Piper exclaimed, hugging her little sister. "After you didn't come home or call last night, I was beginning to think something happened to you."

"Uh, Piper… we need to talk." Darryl said, his voice carrying a serious and sad tone.

"Sure, come on in." Piper opened the door wider, letting them in. She had detected something different about Paige, but couldn't put her finger on it; possibly the big, oversized men's coat she was wearing. Piper starred as Paige walked slowly up to her room. Her walk seemed to stagger slower and slower up the stairs. When she reached the top, Paige kind of stood there, starring down the hallway.

"Paige, are you alright?" Paige just looked at Piper, her eyes portraying her sadness, pain, and confusion she was feeling. Paige then continued onto her room, quietly shutting the door.

"Piper?" Darryl said, trying to break the evident trance Piper was in.

"Oh, Darryl, thanks for bringing Paige home." Piper replied, snapping back into the conversation. "Where was she anyway?"

"That's the thing Piper… the police had found her in this back alley. She was… she wasn't the same though. She was hugging her knees like a scared child, rocking herself back and forth. Luckily, the policemen who arrived on the scene recognized her as one of my friends and called me."

"Oh my god…" Piper took in a deep breath, trying to grasp hold of the situation. "What does this mean? Was she hurt? Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure. She wouldn't speak or let anyone near her. It took a while to even get her to trust me. It was like she was scared witless of everything and everyone."

"Was it like she was drunk, or under the influence of something?" Piper ventured, not knowing what to think. The worst scenarios flooded her mind.

"She didn't appear to be either, but then again, there was no way she would have let us administer the test. You could bring her down later if you want me to check."

"Thanks Darryl, and I'll umm… talk to her." Piper withdrew herself from the conversation and headed up the stairs.

"Call me, Piper!" Darryl yelled to her.

"I will!" Piper replied, taking the stairs at a quick pace. Once she reached Paige's door, she lightly knocked upon it. When there was no reply, she slowly opened the door. She scanned the room to see Paige was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees and resting her head on them. Piper walked up and sat down next to her. Paige still didn't acknowledge that Piper had entered the room. "Paige?" Piper softly called to her. Paige began to rock herself. Piper touched Paige's face, removing strands of hair that had fallen when she felt a hot tear hit her hand. Piper looked up into Paige's eyes and realized she was crying.

"What's wrong, Paige?"

"I tried to save her, but I couldn't. They wouldn't let me. I really did try." Paige began muttering, in a repeated trance, eventually sobbing. Piper pulled her into her embracing arms, rubbing her back as Paige continued to mutter. Piper rocked her till her voice finally ceased, whispering consoling words into her ear. She then helped Paige slide into her bed and under the covers. Once Piper was sure Paige was asleep, she crept out the room. She briefly called Phoebe to tell her, and minutes after the phone call, Phoebe had left work and was heading for the manor.

Piper had continued to watch Paige as she slept until she heard Phoebe park her car. She quietly crept out of the room and down the stairs. Piper met Phoebe at the door and signaled her to be quiet as she entered. Phoebe silently put up her coat and followed Piper into the living room where they both took a seat on the couch.

"So, what is the emergency with Paige?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm not sure. She was mumbling something about not being able to save someone. Darryl said they found her in an alleyway; she wouldn't let anyone near herself." Piper explained.

"What could've happened? If it was something demonic, I'm sure Paige could've handled it or even orbed away."

"I don't know… I didn't get a chance to ask her. It's like she's traumatized or something." Piper sighed, running her hands through her hair, worry evident in her voice.

"Oh…"

"What worries me is if it wasn't something demonic, we can't just make whatever happen be reversed." Piper sighed.

"Well, is she awake now?" Phoebe asked, glancing at Paige's door.

"No… she fell asleep about thirty minutes ago."

"Oh, I don't think we should wake her now. We can wait till she gets up and then we can talk to her."

"Yeah, that'll probably be best." Piper agreed.

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A/N: Yes, I'm aware of the shortness, but the next chapter will make up for it with its longness. And, of course, all the details haven't been unfolded, so you might be confused. Though, much will be revealed in the next chapter. Oh my gosh… did you hear that? I think the little review button is calling for you.


	2. I Failed

A/N: Hello again. I'd like to thank those who reviewed the last chapter. Nice to see people still like my writings. Anyway, I hope this makes up for the shortness of the last chapter. Oh, and that, I proofread this at 1AM, so mistakes are allowed.

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            As Phoebe exited the bathroom, she noticed Paige's door was open. Although, when she peered in and saw an empty bed, slight panic arose in her. She quickly scanned the hallway to find it empty. Once she looked downstairs, she saw Paige's red hair poking over the top of the couch. She breathed a sigh of relief as she went downstairs to Paige.

"Hey you." Phoebe greeted cheerfully as she plopped herself onto the couch. Paige barely acknowledged Phoebe with a mere glance upwards and then returned to drawing. Out of curiosity, Phoebe cocked her head to the side to see what Paige was drawing. Her sketch revealed a picture of a demon similar to Belthazor in shape, but a little less buff and without the tribal markings. The sick, sinister smile he wore on his face was actually beginning to creep Phoebe out.

"Paige, who is that a picture of?" Phoebe asked, getting a little worried. She placed her hand gently on top of Paige's hand in order to gain her attention and when Paige finally looked up at her, Phoebe then noticed what Piper was talking about earlier. Her eyes were no long portraying the happiness that they once had, but confusion; utter confusion to the world surrounding her. Paige was indeed different.

"Paige, were you attacked by a demon? This demon?" Phoebe pressed on, pointing to the drawing, and receiving no answer from Paige. Without a word, Paige got up from the sofa and headed back up the stairs. "Paige? Paige!" Phoebe yelled after her. Piper appeared at the balcony shortly after Paige had walked into her room.

"What's all the yelling for?" She asked.

"I think something, demonic, happened to Paige." Phoebe explained, heading up the stairs to Piper. "And I think it has to do with this demon." Phoebe showed Piper the drawing.

"Did Paige draw this?" Piper asked, taking a hold of the book. She shivered at the thought of someone or something like that being anywhere near to Paige.

"I'm going to go check the BOS for this demon, see if he could anything to do with this."

"Wait, we should probably talk to her about it first." Piper suggested.

"I tried to, but she just stared at me and didn't say anything. It's like she heard me but didn't."

"Come on anyway." Piper took Phoebe's hand, and they walked to Paige's room. When Piper knocked on the door, no response was given. Phoebe shrugged as Piper looked at her for any suggestion. With a quick breath, they both entered the room. Paige was on the bed lying on her side, clutching her stomach tightly and her eyes closed shut. Phoebe sat down beside her, as Piper squatted down in front of her.

"Paige, what's wrong? We know something isn't right." Piper asked, concern in her voice. Paige looked into Piper's eyes, and Piper could see a glimmer of hope that she was going to say something, but nothing came out.

"Are you hurt?" Phoebe questioned, noticing Paige holding her stomach. Piper took notice to this too, and touched Paige's stomach. Paige quickly flinched at Piper's touch and tried to back up.

"Paige, if you're hurt, you have to let us help you." Piper said, gently lifting up Paige's shirt to reveal a multicolored bruise mark by her abdomen and several scratch-like markings all over her stomach. Piper then gently lifted up Paige's shirt to see her stomach reveal a bruise mark there and several scratch-like markings. Paige began to involuntary tremble as Piper ran her fingers tenderly along the bruises.

"Did he do this?" Piper asked, but Paige gave that same lost stare at her. Piper hid her rising disappointment and concern for her baby sister. She couldn't panic at a time like this; Paige needed her. "I'm going to call Leo, ok?" Piper got up and left the room to shout for Leo.

"Paige, why won't you talk to us?" Phoebe asked. Paige just looked at her, her eyes screaming that she would, but she still said nothing. Phoebe sighed, desperately wanting Paige to talk to her. Soon, Leo and Piper returned to the room a few seconds later. Piper had already told him what they knew outside the room. He quietly healed in her stomach.

"Is there any where else it hurts, Paige?" He asked, concern obvious in his voice. Leo sighed when he received no response from her. "I'm just going to check to make sure, okay?" Leo warned before he began to cautiously poke about Paige's abdomen and rib cage. He reached about the second lowest rib when Paige had flinched again. Leo slowly rubbed his hand over the bone. He could tell it was at least slightly fractured. He wordlessly healed her rib, knowing that any question he asked would go unanswered. Paige looked down at her stomach; an expression of relief could almost be seen on her emotionless face.

"Paige, how did you get hurt?" Piper asked. To no surprise to everyone, Paige didn't respond once again. It was like she had gone back to her little, isolating world. She rolled off the other side of her bed and started to walk about her room, picking up various objects and then placing them back down. Her family watched her, wondering if she was trying to show them something. When she reached her bookshelf, she ran her fingers along the titles of the books, reading them silently to herself. Paige suddenly grabbed multiple books and violently threw them on the ground.

"Paige…" Phoebe calmly said, going over to her sister. Phoebe ducked another round of books being thrown to the floor. She let her eyes quickly scan the book titles: _Demons: Are they real?; The Modern Witch; The stars, the moon, and you._ Those were the only books she had time to read before a candle collided with her head.

"Paige, what are you doing?" Piper questioned, watching her sister wreak havoc on her own room. Phoebe went to stop Paige, but the moment she touched her, she was thrown into a premonition. Flashes of images appeared in Phoebe's mind, rapidly foreshadowing scenes and events of the future. It was mere seconds before Phoebe snapped back to reality.

"What did you see?" Piper asked Phoebe, noticing her sister tense up and then relax.

"Paige…" Phoebe said slowly, looking at her baby sister. "You were in the underworld… and you escaped, but then… a demon is going to come, and take you back." Phoebe finished. It was obvious in her voice she was still trying to piece together the premonition.

"Paige, what does that mean?" Piper asked. All eyes fell upon Paige for answers, and Paige looked back nervously between them. She began to shake her head no, and back away from them. Upon hitting the wall, Paige slid down in tears and quickly buried her head in her knees. Relying on her instincts, Piper got up and pulled Paige into a hug. Paige let her tears fall onto Piper's shirt while Piper rubbed her back soothingly. 

"I don't want to go back." Paige muffled in Piper's shirt.

"Shh, it's ok, it's all right." Piper said, still holding her. "Hey, why don't you go down to the kitchen, and I'll be right there to fix you something to eat?" Paige nodded, stifling her sniffs and pulling away from Piper. Wiping her eyes, she left the room and headed downstairs.

"Phoebe, what happened in your premonition?" Piper asked.

"Well, I had two premonitions actually; one of the past and one of the future.

"That's new…" Piper mused.

"Yeah. In the past one, I could see that Paige was in the underworld, chained to a wall. I'm guessing she probably escaped through orbing out."

"Most likely where Darryl found her this morning." Leo commented.

"Now, in the future one, I saw Paige being taken again. It may be the same demon, but I can't be sure. Oh, and there was this other woman there but I don't know where she fit into the whole thing."

"Other woman?" Leo asked.

"That's who Paige must be talking about." Piper concluded. "When she first came home, she was saying how she couldn't save 'her'. I had no clue who she was talking about, but it could be that person."

"Guys, that premonition didn't exactly say much on the way of details, but I could see how scared Paige looked and she was terrified. Anything could've happened."

"I know…" Piper softly spoke, the random scenarios running through her head once again. "So, where does this leave us?"

"With a very troubled sister who'll have to come to terms with whatever happened before we can really help her." Leo said, sadly.

"Ok, I'm going downstairs to cook something for Paige. Phoebe, why don't you go check in the BOS, since you got a look at that demon?" Piper suggested.

"Alright, just tread lightly. We don't want to push her." Phoebe said, heading up to the attic. Piper went to leave, when Leo wrapped his arms around his wife from behind. Taking the moment to relax, she leaned back into the embrace, taking a deep breath.

"What are we going to do?" Piper asked, searching for answers she wasn't quite so sure of herself.

"We're going to help Paige through this, and vanquish the demon who did this to her." Leo answered, giving her a little squeezed before letting her go. Piper turned around and kissed Leo.

"Thanks…"

Paige was sitting at the small kitchen table; her eyes were fixated upon the saltshaker. The constant, nervous tap of her foot could be heard beating against the tile floor. When Piper entered the kitchen, she took a seat next to her. Paige's tapping slowly ceased as Piper took her hand in her own. Paige looked into Piper's eyes, receiving a warm smile.

"It'll be okay, you just have to believe it." Piper encouraged her. "Now, what do you want to eat?" Paige just continued to look at her, not really answering. Piper could tell Paige had reverted back to her ways of not talking.

"Well, I'm going to have some Campbell's soup, and you can split it with me." Even though Paige didn't response, Piper went on preparing the soup. Piper had sat by the stove to stir the chowder, never letting her eyes leave Paige. When she was done, she scooped it into two bowls, and placed them on the table for herself and Paige. As Piper ate, she watched Paige just twirl her spoon around in the bowl. Her heart started to break as she thought of what the demon could have possibly done to have taken her once spunky, energetic, smiling baby sister and turn her into the quiet, shelled-in person she was now. She just wanted to make it all go away but she knew a simple vanquish of the demon wouldn't make it all better. She looked at Paige who was looking at her. Paige's expression on her face was depressing. Though, anger soon took over in the fact that someone had done something to her sister, to _her_ sister. Some demon had terrified her to this point, this point of seclusion. 

"Paige, I want to ask you a question. Phoebe said in her premonition, there was another girl there." Piper began to speak, but stopped when she looked at Paige again. Paige had started to rock herself in the chair; tears were forming in her eyes.

"She couldn't leave, she couldn't escape… it was… too late. I was too late." Paige was beginning to put breaks in between each word. Piper tried to take up Paige's hand to comfort her but Paige shrunk back. "No! I failed her!" Piper could see various pots and pans and glasses disappear in orbs from her cabinets. Slamming into the wall, the kitchenware fell to pieces on the floor. Paige jumped at the sudden noise around her.

"Paige, it wasn't your fault." Piper said, but Paige ran into the basement before Piper could stop her. Quickly locking the door, Paige ran down the stairs. She orbed the five crystals down to the basement and placed them in a reserved pentagon. It had been a little trick she had picked up during her witch studies. Reversing the poles in which the crystals were normally placed then reversed the charge. Neither her sisters nor anyone else could now make her remove the force field. Paige didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted to be safe.

Piper continued to bang on the door, yelling for Paige to let her in. She thought about using the key to open the door when she remembered it had been lost ages ago. Contemplating on whether or not she should blow down the door, she took in a deep breath to relax herself. She wasn't too keen in getting the door fixed later on, but she stepped back anyway to blow it up. Just before she flicked her wrist, Leo and Phoebe came jogging down the stairs to her.

"Piper, what happened down here?" Phoebe asked, making the connection between the close door and the sudden disappearance of Paige. The noise had alerted them that something was wrong.

"I was trying to ask her about the girl you saw in your premonition, but when I did she lost it. She was saying how it was her fault, and how she failed. She got so worked up, I don't think she even realized that she was orbing things around the kitchen." Piper explained, running her hands through her hair. She began to regret even bringing up the subject with Paige. "I'm beginning to think that woman died before Paige could save her."

"And Paige is probably blaming herself for it, feeling completely guilty for the lose. That's why she's probably trying to shut herself off from us." Leo suggested.

"But Paige knows we weren't meant to save everyone." Phoebe pointed out.

"Yeah, but pile on whatever else happened down there…"

"Ok, less talking, more orbing. She locked herself in the basement and I don't think she should be alone right now." Piper said. Nodding in agreement, Leo took the girls' hands and orbed them down. By the time they entered, Paige had already erected the force field, having an electric dome surrounding her. Piper walked up to remove the crystal, but as soon as she go near to it, she was sent flying back into Leo.

"Okay Paige, I'm not sure what you did, but undo it. We need to talk." Piper said, Leo helping her up off the ground. Paige remained sitting Indian style on the floor, not even acknowledging that they were there.

"It's not good for you to keep everything to yourself, you know. We just want to talk to you." Phoebe said, choosing a more friendly tone of voice. She stepped up to a few feet from the cage.

"Paige, why don't you come out and you can do whatever you want? You don't have to talk if you don't want to." Leo offered, sensing Paige wasn't in the "talking" mood.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Paige. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." Piper joined in. Paige swiveled around so her back was facing them. Sighing in frustration, Piper took a seat on an old crate. She glanced at Phoebe and Leo for suggestions, but they were fresh out. Piper allowed a couple of minutes to pass by before she broke the silence.

"You can't stay in that bubble forever, Paige. I know you know that." Piper said, receiving a shrug from Paige. "Why don't you tell us what you want? Or do you really want us to leave you alone?" The room fell silent, only the buzzing of electricity from the shield could be heard. After a long moment of silence, Piper finally gave in.

"Fine… we'll go."

But as Piper began to usher Phoebe and Leo out, Paige mumbled something, and one of the crystals orbed into her hand, allowing the field to drop. Piper cautiously walked around the pentagon to Paige, and bent down to her eye level. A few tears were rolling down Paige's face.

"I don't want to be alone…" Paige whispered. "I just want these feelings to go away." Piper wiped away the tears from Paige's face, relieved Paige hadn't completely shut them out.

"Don't worry, we're all here" Piper said, taking a hold of Paige.

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A/N: Yes, this didn't exactly clear up the mystery of what has happened. That's why you have to come back to read the second chapter. Hope you enjoyed. You know, if I were in your shoes, I'd review just about…. now. Just a suggestion. Thanks!


	3. Broken Pencil Lead

A/N: Yay! You like me, you really like me. Once again, thanks for the reviews. They let me know that you guys are still reading.

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Piper was now stroking Paige's hair as Paige's head lied in her lap. Her free hand held used the remote control to flick through the various TV channels. Piper had stayed with Paige since they had gotten her out of the basement, though had been very reluctant in speaking still. Leo had left for the Elder to see if they knew anything that could be of use, while Phoebe was in the kitchen researching the demon. Piper spotted Paige shiver a little and pulled a blanket on top of her. Just then, Leo orbed in but he was not alone; there was a woman to his side. She had bleached, light blonde hair though her brunette roots were beginning to show through, and she wore thin-framed glasses that nicely complimented her face. She was dressed in a plain, white blouse and light khaki slacks.

"Piper, could we talk for a minute?" Leo asked.

"Sure…" Piper responded, glancing at the unknown woman. She slowly got up, as she lifted Paige off her and placed a pillow under her head. "We'll be right back." Piper informed Paige before she then followed Leo and the woman into the kitchen, where Phoebe was already sitting.

"Piper, Phoebe, this is Brooke. The Elders believe that she can help Paige." Leo introduced the woman.

"And what is it that you do?" Phoebe asked, giving her attention to Brooke; interested how she could help.

"I'm, what you could say, a supernatural doctor. I specialize in those who can't really be analyzed by an everyday doctor." Brooke replied.

"The Elders think that Paige needs a psychiatrist?" Piper mused, holding herself back from laughing. _This was the Elder's grand plan? To send down a psych? Ha!_ "Do they think she's going crazy?"

"Yes and no. It's obvious that something happened to her. She's blocking herself off from the world."

"Yes, we've realized that, but if she won't talk to us, why would she talk to a stranger?" Piper was actually becoming anger that the Elders believed that couldn't handle Paige, although she tried not to show it.

"That's another difference between me and other doctors. I'm able to recall memories of people, more or less. It's my power; It's kind of mix between past premonitions and telepathy. To know what the patient is feeling and what exactly had happened is a big help. Plus, normal doctors would believe Paige to be crazy if she began talking about the demons she encounters."

"Oh… she hasn't really let anyone that she doesn't know by her." Phoebe commented, considering the idea though picking up on the glares Piper was evidently sending to her.

"Well, I've been watching her since she returned and I believe the…" Brooke began to talk, but was then cut off by Piper.

"Wait, you've been _watching_ her?" Piper asked, wondering just how long the Elders were thinking about this.

"Yes, the Elders sensed that something might be wrong and asked me to watch her until they were sure." Brooke explained.

"Wow, talk about Big Brother." Piper muttered, receiving a look from Leo.

"What would you need?" Phoebe asked.

"To talk to her first, to see how she is." Brooke replied. She noticed the exchanged glances between Piper and Phoebe. "Piper, you don't have to worry about me hurting Paige in any way. I'm only here to help."

"I never said that, and who said I was worried?" Piper said. Brooke pointed to her head and gave her an obvious look. "You read my mind? Am I under surveillance too?!" Piper was now a little ticked off.

"Piper, you're not being watched and Brook _is_ here to help. I think we should just let her do her job." Leo explained, dissolving the oncoming argument.

"Fine." Piper said dryly, walking out of the kitchen. Phoebe gave Brooke an apologetic look.

"It's ok. I can imagine how she feels about now." Brooke said. Phoebe glanced at Brooke, wondering if she meant that she literally knew how Piper really felt.

"Just kidding; it was just a psych joke. I'm not here to analyze you guys, just Paige." Brooke smiled. Phoebe let out a little laugh before a loud shout was heard from the living room.

"Paige!" Leo, Phoebe, and Brooke all looked at each before rushing into the living room to Piper's voice.

"Piper, what's wrong?"

"I left Paige on the couch, and now she's gone." Piper explained, lifting up the blanket she had wrapped Paige in. Everyone glanced around as they stood in their spots.

"She's her room." Phoebe said, noticing the bedroom door open and the light on. Piper then sighed a breath of relief.

"If you guys don't mind, I'd like to go talk to her now." Brooke suggested. Leo and Phoebe looked Piper to see her opinion on the matter. Piper just shrugged.

"Sure, go ahead." Phoebe answered cheerfully. 

"Thanks…" Brooke smiled, and headed up the stairs. Once she was in Paige's room, Leo turned to Piper.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

"What was what all about?" Piper replied, pretending if she didn't know.

"What just happened? Brooke is here to help, and you went Nancy Drew on her."

"I did not, and why can't I be suspicions of people? Especially when the Elders are involved? You heard her; She's been watching us."

"Piper…" Leo sighed.

"Fine, I'll back off. That doesn't mean I agree with Them." Piper huffed, seating herself on the couch. "Brooke had said she was watching Paige, so that means the Elders were too. So, why didn't they tell us something was up with Paige?"

"I don't know…"

"Was it too much trouble to say 'hey, you're sister is currently being traumatize; you might want to go help.'" Leo shrugged, shaking his head in defeat.

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"Paige…" Brooke said, trying to get her attention. "Paige?" Brooke said again, with a little more urgency to her voice. Paige then glanced up at her, but just before Brooke could say anything, Paige diverted her attention back to her drawing. Brooke smiled to herself, knowing full well that Paige was at least, somewhat listening and that she could hear her.

"Well, my name is Brooke. I came to talk to you." Brooke paused, to see if Paige would respond. When she didn't, Brooke decided to watch her instead. Paige continued to draw and moments later, she started to roughly shade in her picture leading to the inevitable of her pencil lead breaking. Going into a fitful rage, she threw the pencil against the wall. She picked up the book she was drawing in and angrily tossed it at a nearby lamp, causing the lamp to shatter upon impact to the floor. Jumping off her bed, she grabbed the nearest book and chucked it at her mirror. By now, everyone has heard the commotion and rushed upstairs to see what was happening up there.

"What is going on up here?!" Piper shouts upon entering the room, though Paige continues on her rampage. She sweeps her arm across her dresser, knocking over all the perfume bottles and make-up onto the floor.

"She doesn't look too happy." Phoebe commented, standing beside Leo.

"She was drawing and when her pencil broke, she got mad." Brooke explained. "She is trying to express herself, though making a mess too."

"You call this 'expressing herself'? Well, she's going to hurt herself in a minute." Piper said. Sure enough, Paige was soon shaking her bookshelf and books were falling on her, but the real danger was the small statue on top of the bookshelf that was inches from falling with every tremor. Foreseeing the danger, Piper decided to take action. She grabbed Paige's arms and pulled her away from the shelf. Piper then pinned Paige against the wall before she could break loose of her hold.

"Paige, you're going to have to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself." Piper said, still holding on. Paige continued to thrash about for 30seconds before stopping. "Are you ok now?" Piper asked, letting go of Paige. Finally calming down, Paige leaned against her bedroom wall and slid down into a crouched position, hugging her knees tightly. Brooke then slowly and quietly approached her so not to frighten her. She stooped down to Paige's eye level.

"Paige, I know how you feel. Alone, scared, confused, but I can help you if you want." Brooke said calmly, brushing Paige's hair back. When Paige didn't flinch, Brooke knew that she trusted her. She looked at Brooke with pleading eyes that Brooke had seen many times before; on the many people she had helped before. The wordless request for help, for relief from their problem. "Shh, don't be afraid." She touched Paige's temple and both of them were pulled back into recesses of Paige's mind.

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A/N: I'd like to take this opportunity to do this. *evil laughter* That was for you, Falcon. The next chapter will actually explain what had happened to Paige. Oooooh, sounds interesting, no? I think you know what to do. *hint* review! *hint, hint*


	4. Helpless

A/N: Okay peoples, this chapter will reveal what happened to Paige. I don't know if I explained everything as clearly as hoped, so I'll briefly explain. This is basically a flashback to the incident, and Brooke is along for the ride. Every separated section is a jump from memory to memory. Ok? Good… Oh, and thanks to my reviewers. You guys rock!

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Brooke took in the scene before her. The dimly lit tunnels, the multiple corridors weaving in and out, and just a strange vibe she received. She could easily tell it was some part of the vast Underworld. When she heard a sickening scream, she quickly behind her to see a girl chained to the wall with some demon in the room. The girl barely looked above the age of twenty-two, her shirt had been ripped in several places, and the several lesions on her upper body could be seen from a distance. The demon proceeded to run his knife across the young woman stomach causing her to scream again. Soon, another demon could be heard coming her way. Brooke turned around to see a demon carrying an unconscious Paige. He lied her down on the floor and bowed down to the demon before him.

"I got another one for you." The demon told the other one.

"I just got this one; I was planning on keeping her… for a little while." he replied, surveying his handiwork on the woman.

"Well Morpheus, looks like your hands are full. I'll just mess with her until your ready." The two shared a sick smile between them, when Paige then began to stir awake. "And it looks like she's awake…"

"In fact, you can keep her. Have fun Astat." Morpheus grinned, slamming his fist into the girl's stomach. Paige's sight focused onto the blur that stood in front of her. She shook her head, in an effort to clear the confusion, as she felt herself begin to rise in the air. The demon had lifted her off the ground and carried her into an adjacent room. Brooke followed him and Paige into the next the room. The demon, having some form of telekinesis, lifted Paige from his arms. He moved her telekinetically to the wall, attaching chains to hold up her hands and shackles clipping themselves onto her feet. By the time he was done, Paige had become fully aware and alert to her surroundings.

"Morning sunshine…" Astat whispered into her ear. Paige slightly jumped at his cold, callous voice. The chains holding her up became apparent to her when she felt the urge to run.

"Who are you?" Paige questioned, her voice quavering a little.

"The last person you'll see alive." He smirked as he sent an energy ball into her ribcage. Paige felt her body mildly convulsing as the intense energy course through her body.

"That was original, last person I'll see and all." Paige replied, throwing in a bit of confidence to her voice. "If that energy ball is the height of your abilities, you've got to be kidding me."

"Oh no…" he somewhat chuckled, "That was only the beginning." Astat, still standing next to Paige, ran his tongue up her cheek. His hand placed firmly on her opposite prevented her from moving. Paige squirmed as he did it, and mentally screamed in her head for help. "Tasty…" His voice said.

"Stay away from me!" Paige yelled, trying to kick him. A laugh emitted from him as he took a step back.

"I'm going to enjoy our time together. We'll have so much fun." He smirked, throwing another energy ball at her. Once again, the pain returned to her. Of course, that wouldn't be the last time either.

****

"You know what I've learned?" Astat questioned, a smile on his face. "I've learned that if you just simply stab someone, they'll die to quickly to really do anything; you know, torture and such. So…" Astat began to lift Paige's shirt up, exposing her pale stomach.

"Hey, off limits pal!" Paige yelled in revolt, receiving a light chuckle from him. It could be seen he was enjoying this little _game_.

"Off limits? Don't you understand you're mine until you die? And trust me, it'll be a little while till then."

"Oh, bite me." Paige shot back. His constant remarks about him torturing her and prolonging her death was really beginning to get under her skin.

"That's a great idea." Astat began to nibble upon her ear, letting his tongue wonder about in her inner ear.

"Back off!" Paige yelled, disgust building up in her stomach as his stench reached her nose and his hot breathe pulsated against her neck. "That was _so_ not cool."

"You are a feisty one…" Astat replied, and actually listening to her, drew back. Paige felt a sigh of relief when he stopped. "But that'll change." He lifted Paige's shirt back up and proceeded to run the knife across Paige's torso, with just enough pressure to watch her bleed. Paige gritted her teeth for as her sweat hit each fresh open cut, a stinging twinge added as a reminder for each cut.

"My sister's will find you and we'll vanquish your ass." Paige breathed out, careful not to show much discomfort.

"Don't you understand? You're not going to leave!" Annoyance getting the best of him, he punched her hard in the stomach and a sickening crack could be heard when his fist collided into Paige's ribs. Paige felt the air rush out of her at the quickness of the punch. Gasping the air back into herself, Paige held in her breath as the pain sunk in. She was dead near positive he had broken a rib, and now it was poking into some organ. Staggering her breath, it was killing her as she resisted the urge to scream.

"Look what you made me do! Do you really want to die fast?!?" Astat yelled.

Her vision began to blur as tears built up and spilled out. Paige began to shake, as she felt her body wrack with pain: the numbness in her arms, coldness of her legs, the ache surging through her chest and stomach because of the various cuts and bruises, and the immense headache that had been building since she arrived. All of this grief and agony became very evident to her. All of it rushed forward. And to think, that was only the physical pain she was experiencing. The physical pain was paling in comparison to the mental and emotional anguish she was suffering.

This is when she first allowed the fear to creep into her; the fear that she might actually die down there; the fear of never seeing Phoebe or Piper or Leo or anyone for that matter; the fear that her powers would go, not in vain, but to the _good_ of evil. That's when the sobs came. That's when she didn't care about looking or acting tough. She ignored the fact that Astat was directly in front of her, taking pleasure in her agony. She ignored the fact that she was giving in to him, giving him joy and satisfaction of seeing her finally break.

She was deadly hurt, seriously in pain, and had a great deal of fear. Inside, she could feel herself slipping away from reality, so much that she couldn't hear herself pleading for him to stop.

****

"Astat, I think it's time we take these witches' powers and get some new ones." Morpheus suggested. Astat nodded his head I agreement. This would be his first witch he had torture _and_ got the powers from.

"Shall you go first?" He asked, smiling to himself.

"Watch and learn." Morpheus commanded as he drew a dagger from his belt and slowly approached the woman. Paige could see the red, dried on blood of the past victims upon the dagger.

"No! Let her go!" Paige yelled at him to stop as she tried to get free with the little strength she had left.

"Silence!" Morpheus bellowed, his agitation evident in his voice. Paige became quiet and stunned, Astat backed up a little from him. "Unless you want to be next?" Morpheus eyed her.

"Just leave her alone!"

"Astat, let her down." Morpheus commanded, pointing at Paige.

"But…"

"Now!"

Astat immediately released the chains that held Paige, and she dropped to her knees, her legs not being able to support herself. Paige raised her head to see Astat standing but a foot away from her.

"You want to talk, huh? You think you can stop me?!" Astat swiftly kicked Paige in the stomach. She quickly fell to her hands and knees. Coughing heavily, trying to regain her breath, Astat kicks her hands from under her, causing her to fall flat on her face. "Come on! You want to save her don't you?!" Astat taunted, bending down in Paige's face. He picked her up like a sack of wheat and threw her against the opposite wall. Paige hit the wall with great force and fell down among the rubble. She painfully and slowly rolled onto her stomach. Paige's head snapped up as she her the ear-piercing scream. Astat had plunged the dagger into the women abdomen. Blood could be seen dribbling onto Morpheus' hand. His delight in his recent kill was obvious on his face. Paige quickly staggered to her feet and attempted to run towards the woman. Morpheus quickly grabbed hold on her, and prevented her from stopping his master. Paige struggled against him, but it was no use. She found his strength much higher than herself, especially in her current state. Paige watched in horror as the young woman fought to take her last breathes. The woman death finally sunk in when a bright, white orb floated out of her body and into Morpheus' hand.

"This witch had the most impressive powers." Morpheus commented, admiring his new claimed power.

"Indeed, she did. And they're yours now." Astat agreed. 

"But to take care of another thing." Morpheus turned to Astat, a smile on his face. "A loyal servant of mine deserves a new power also, don't you think?"

"I do." Astat grinned, looking down at Paige still in his arms.

"Let her go." Morpheus commanded. Astat obeyed, and Paige felt herself fall as her body collapsed under her own weight. Morpheus slowly approached her, dagger in hand. Paige temporarily froze as her eyes focused in on Morpheus' hand, more precisely the bloody dagger he held in hand. It was still dripping with blood. She quickly snapped out of it and attempted to back up, but the pain she was experiencing was killing her.

"Tell her thanks for her power when you see her." Morpheus smiled, twirling the dagger about in his hand. On instinct alone, Paige orbed the dagger to her hand moments before he could stab her and thrust it into his chest. Morpheus looked down in shock at the dagger that was sitting in his torso. His yell could be heard clearly as he was engulfed by flames. Before Paige let her guard down, an enraged Astat formed an energy ball and threw it at her. Thinking quickly, Paige orbed the ball back at him, but only bruising him in the arm. Seeing the odds of her survival as slim, Paige promptly orbed out.

****

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. I never really been big on writing about pain and torture, so chances are that this sucked. You know what to do now.


	5. Awaken

Brooke broke the connection between herself and Paige. Breathing deeply, Brooke backed a few feet away from Paige and began to regain her breath. Paige appeared to still be dreaming when her eyes slowly stirred open. Mass confusion filled the room.

"Wow…" Brooke whispered, recalling the events in her mind. The images and pain were so real and vivid.

"What just happened?" Piper asked, just as perplexed as Phoebe. Brooke and Paige had been remotely unconscious for the past five minutes. Though they did begin to worry, Leo warned them against breaking the link.

"I had connected to Paige's mind; finding the cause of her mental breakdown." Brooke explained as she still took in all the details. Taking Leo's hands, she pulled herself back off the floor while Phoebe helped Paige up. Brooke took notice to Paige's wobbling legs as she tried to stand up. "Don't worry, she's probably tired. When I tap into someone's memories, it usually can cause them to be exhausted." Phoebe nodded as she gently sat Paige down on her bed."

"Paige, why don't you want to lie down?" Phoebe suggested to her. Pulling back the sheets, Phoebe waited for Paige to swing her legs under the covers and then pulled the sheets back. In seconds, Paige instinctually latched onto a pillow and fell asleep. A look of innocence spread upon Paige's sleeping form. Soon, her body was rhythmically breathing soundly. Smiling, Phoebe pulled Paige's hair from her face. "She's been through so much in her life."

"Yeah…" Piper agreed from the wall she was leaning on.

"Why don't we go downstairs? She'll be asleep for a while and I want to discuss her with you." Brooke recommended. Silently agreeing, everyone quietly filed out of Paige's room, Piper flipping off the light as she left. They all went down to the living room and seated themselves to a chair. Brooke waited until everyone was comfortable before she began.

"What Paige has been through, I'm not surprised she's acting the way she is." Brooke explained.

"And what exactly has Paige 'been through'?" Piper asked, taking hold of Leo hand for comfort.

"Well, let me explain what I did up there. People who are traumatized, their mind becomes a little different. Most can't even remember because their minds subconsciously lock away those memories as a defense mechanism. Of course, that's not always good. What I do is go in and unlock those memories per se." Brooke clarified. "Just as you suspected, Paige was indeed kidnapped by a demon. He actually delighted in torturing her before trying to steal her powers. He called himself Astat."

"Wait… torturing her?" Phoebe interrupted, the phrase sticking out in her mind.

"Yes, as in physically hurting her." Brooke answered. "The scars and the broken rib you healed when she got home were proof of it. Though, I fear that's wasn't exactly what sent her... over the edge."

"Oh yeah, because when someone beats you to a pulp, you're not affected by it." Piper scoffed, her sarcasm hiding the true fear she was feeling.

"Of course I didn't mean that none of that had bearing on her. When someone's assaulted, their feelings may change but not this drastically."

"So, what did happen?"

"From what I can tell, Astat, the one who kidnapped her, wasn't working alone. He was more of a lackey or an apprentice of a higher up demon. I gathered that his name was Morpheus. As you know, most demons are out to get more powers so they can rise up in the demonic circles. The thing about Morpheus and Astat was that they took getting powers to another level. They relish in the pain of witches, torturing them to get a little kick before taking their powers." Brooke paused, to see if everyone was still following. She could see the sullen faces on them, but decided to press forward. "Well, when Astat arrived with Paige, Morpheus already had his own witch."

"That must've been the girl from my premonition; that's how she fits into this." Phoebe exclaimed. The pieces were beginning to fall together.

"Don't get too happy, she's dead. Paige fought to save her, but she was ultimately too weak to really do anything. Morpheus simply threw her into a wall and kicked her a few times, basically gloating her eventual failure. She was then forced to watch the death of the woman before her. So, add that mental torment to the physical and emotional damage, and you get the Paige you see now." Brooke concluded.

"Dear god…" was the only thing Piper could manage to say, pulling closer to Leo. They all sat in silence for a few minutes, digesting the new information

"So… what can we do now?" Phoebe asked, putting her worrying aside and looking for a solution.

"She'll open up in time. But naturally, she'll be full of self-guilt, believing everything that happened was her fault. She could easily fall into a depression if she's not watched carefully." Brooke replied, exploring all details. "Right now, Paige has too many raw emotions to deal with; anger, fear, self consciousness, guilt… she has tried to suppress them, but all in all, she can't handle it. Suppressing her feelings has only pushed her further away from this reality."

"We're supposed to sit here and wait?" Piper asked, not liking the idea at all.

"Patience is key in my line of work."

"Well, then, I'm going to go look at the BOS so we can pay a little visit to the monsters who did this." Piper said, getting up to leave. She had to get out of that room; the depressing news was killing her.

"Piper…" Leo called out to her. He could tell she was hurting and busying herself was just a way to get away.

"Leo." Piper responded, in a tone that put an end to the conversation. "The bastard responsible for this is still out there and by the looks of Phoebe's premonition, he didn't get enough of Paige the first time. So, if you don't mind." Piper concluded, climbing the stairs to the attic. Leo sighed, knowing her harsh tone wasn't directed towards him. It was her frustration towards the situation. He figured in a few hours, she cool down and let him talk to her.

****

Phoebe had taken on the task of watching Paige. Brooke had actually followed Piper up to the attic, offering her help since she had gotten a look at the two demons. Piper looked so tense as if she could "accidentally" blow up Brooke. Leo, of course, had other charges and left to take care of them. Phoebe stared on at her little sister in wonder. No wonder Paige was so strange, after what she had gone through. Phoebe merely received clips of the ordeal, and she still cringed. No doubt, Paige will have nightmares for days, possibly weeks about this. Phoebe sighed. _She was gone an entire day and I shrugged it off like it was nothing. I didn't even call her cell to check on her. Maybe if I had called, I could have found out sooner that she was missing, and we could have saved her before any of this happened. God, I can't believe brushed her absents off like 'she was out with a guy'. She would have said something. You would think I'd get a premonition if I could just control this power. Paige had her powers for about 2 years now, and has mastered them. Me? No…I've been given 5 years and all I've down is to float on command._

Phoebe mind continued to wonder when her attention was snapped back to reality. Paige had begun to shift uneasily in her sleep. Getting up, Phoebe gently shook Paige awake. Paige's eyes slowly opened, allowing herself to escape from her sleep. Phoebe greeted her with a smile as she brushed back her hair.

"Hey."****

"Hey…" Paige responded, barely audible. She sat up in the bed and pulled the comforter off herself, kicking it to the edge of the bed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were hot or I would've taken it off. I don't know what I was…" Phoebe rambled on until Paige put her hand over her mouth. Phoebe stopped, and looked at her baby sister. She was… smiling. Phoebe took her hand in her own and smiled back. Paige then clung to Phoebe in a hug, burying her face in her shoulder.

"Shh… it's ok. We won't let anything happen to you." Phoebe whispered, stroking her hair.

"He's coming back, isn't he?" Paige asked, pulling away.

"Yeah, but we'll be ready.

****

            Piper stood in the attic, her eyes alternating between Paige's drawing and the BOS. She had no problem finding Morpheus, though he didn't matter anymore since he was dead. Piper had read his biography summary anyway, and he was exactly how Brooke had described him; just another demon in search of powers. Though, what angered Piper is that he had taken it to another level. He couldn't just kill his victims and take their powers. He had to see them in pain, hear them in agony, laugh in their defeat.

Brooke sat there quietly, observing Piper. She had heard much of the eldest Halliwell, much of the Halliwells in general. Their stubbornness was well known, as well as their determination. She couldn't help but notice these infamous qualities in Piper. She also noticed how much she was like Paige, bottling her emotions.

"Found anything?" Brooke asked, the silence getting to her.

"No." Piper answered sharply. She continued to flip through the book.

"Piper, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead…" Piper mumbled, not really listening.

"Why is it you don't like me?"

"I don't dislike you." Piper replied, stopping her search. "Just the Elders…"

"And why don't you like them?"

"Oh, I don't know. They never have information when we need it, or maybe it is that they never want Leo and I together, or maybe both. I haven't really made a list."

"But that can't be why you're so hostile to me. There has to be something else…"

"Maybe it's because you and the Elders sat upon your lofty thrones and watched Paige suffer, and didn't do a damn thing!" Piper yelled, cutting Brooke off.

"So, you blame us for what happened to Paige?"

"You know what? I'm not playing this game, this 'let's analyze Piper' game. You are here to help Paige and nothing else." Piper said crisply, resuming her search through the book.

"Look, I'm sorry. Sometimes, I can't turn off the psychiatrist in me. I deal with patients all day, and I guess that part of me never stops working." Brooke apologized.

"It's not just you. I know I can be a little edgy." Piper admitted. They share a smile before Piper resumes her work. Moments later, Phoebe entered the room with Paige tagging behind her.

"Hey guys, guess who woke up." Phoebe said cheerfully. Both heads turned in the direction of the red head.

"Hey…" Paige greeted, looking around nervously.

"I think that connection thing you had with Paige booted her back to reality." Phoebe explained, directing her comment to Brooke.

"Well, sometimes, reliving the trauma is all it takes." Brooke agreed. Piper, who had remained silent, walked towards Paige and enveloped her in a hug. When Piper pulled back, she caught a glimpse of Paige's eyes. They had a hopeful glint to them, one she hadn't seen in a while, a look of freedom, and determination, as if something inside had turned on. They had a sparkle that could only be described in one way; Paige… Though, they held a bit of sadness, the shine was one her own.

"We'll get the demon who did this to you." Piper swore, getting serious.

"I know… I'm just glad to be home." Paige said.

"We are too." Phoebe joined in, draping her arm around Paige for a light hug.

"Hey, who's that?" Paige inquired, spotting the woman in the corner.

"Paige, this is Brooke. The Elders sent her to help." Piper explained.

"Oh… well, thanks." Paige said, shaking Brooke's hand. "I'm not sure what you did, but whatever it was, it unscrambled my brain."

"You're more than welcome." Brooke smiled back.

"So, what have we found out so far?" Paige asked, getting back to the subject at hand.

"Umm… I'm guessing Astat is too new to be in BOS because I haven't found anything on him, just Morpheus, but you killed him right?" Piper answered.

"Yeah… but not his partner in crime." Paige felt her anger begin to rise. The mere thought of those two names did to her chilled her bones.

"That's ok, we'll get him. And trust me… he'll pay." Piper said, sensing Paige's hatred.


	6. No Mr Clean

A/N: I know, I'm probably not the top favorite author on your list right now. I'm telling you, Band is a killer. I'll crank out another chapter by next week. Promise! This is also incredibly short.

Also, I must thank: SnowBunny (screw the 1), P3Halliwell1329, and Charmed Writer P4 for writing the *CO2 monthUGH* delay. FF.net said that it uploaded my chapter, but it didn't so, when no one reviewed I thought you didn't like me anymore. But you like me, you really, really like me!

****

Paige reentered her room, her feet shuffling against the floor. It was a mess. Her bed coverings were all over the floor, her books were in the corners of her room, and a few remainders of a lamp lied on her dresser. Observing the pile of books stacked on the ground, she promptly put them back on the shelf. Picking up a broken lampshade, she starred at it confused.

"Yeah, you kind of broke it when you were… you know…" Piper explained, stepping into the room unexpectantly, along with Phoebe.

"Oh…" Paige sighed, placing the lamp in the trash. "It was a nice lamp too." Strong odors of mixed perfumes reached her nose as she leaned over the trash can.

"And some of your perfume bottles too." Piper added, noticing the newfound look of disgust on her face. "Phoebe tried to clean it up, but she's not exactly Mrs. Clean." Piper laughed, receiving a smile from Paige.

"Hey!" Phoebe lightly protested. "At least I'm not a compulsive cleaner like some people…"

"I am not compulsive…" Piper defended, "I just enjoy a clean home."

"Uh huh…" Phoebe winked at Paige, them both sharing a smile. Piper shook her head at her younger sisters.

"Besides all that… Paige, we came to see how you were doing." Paige sighed, knowing that they would eventually ask her. She could lie and say no, but her sisters would see right through that and persist even harder. She slowly shuffled over to her bed, and took a seat, while Phoebe bounced on the bed beside her and Piper pulled up a chair. Paige eyed her sisters, waiting for the conversation to begin.

"I don't know…" Paige began twiddling her thumbs. "What is there to talk about really? I was kidnapped, torture, and then returned home; end of story." She shrugged; bitterness was present in her voice.

"Well, it's understandable to be anger, god knows we all are. We just don't want you to bundle it all inside and go on a mad demon hunt." Phoebe explained.

"Yeah, we remember last time when I did that." Piper commented.

"It's not that I'm mad at him, it's the overwhelming guilt."

"Why would you feel guilty? None of this was your fault." Piper asked.

"That girl was right there the entire time. Morpheus, that… demon…" Paige spat out with such venom, "He was much worse to her than Astat was to me. I could hear her, begging and pleading for him to stop. He, they… all I could do was listen."

"But that wasn't your fault. You obviously couldn't do anything. You had a demon of your own to deal with."

"Like that matters… he gave me a chance to save her and I failed. Plain and simple."

"You can't honestly believe you had a fair chance? You were up against two powerful demons, not to mention all of your physical pain. No one would expect you to be able to defeat them both." Phoebe argued.

"Paige, believe us, we are just glad you made it out alive." Piper added.

"It's just…" Paige sighed, putting her head in her hands. "I haven't felt so helpless and… worthless and hurt since my parents died and its..."

"Come here…" Piper sat on the bed next to her and waved Paige over into her arms. Paige complied while Phoebe began hugging the other side. "Now, you are home and you're safe..."

"Plus you're sane and we won't let you out of our sight..." Phoebe interjected, receiving a grin from Paige.

"And there is nothing to worry about, because we are going to vanquish that demon."

Paige kissed the hand of both of her sisters. "Thanks, you guys are the best… but I'm need to be by myself for a little while." Paige said getting up from her bed. Before her sisters can protest she adds, "And I won't be far, so don't worry." She gave them a genuine smile before she walked out of her room.

"You think that it's ok to leave her alone?" Phoebe asked Piper.

"Yeah, she needs time." Piper replied.

****

A/N: Once again, I'm sorry for the delay and shortness. Will be made up next chapter. Trust me.


	7. Shattered Mug

A/N: Well, the rides almost over. I've really enjoyed writing this. A slightly short chapter, little of 2 pages and a 1,000 words. 

****

Phoebe waltzed into the kitchen, carrying the bulky BOS in her arms. Piper was already there, along with multiple boiling pots all over the stove. "What are you cooking?" Phoebe asked, her nose wrinkling with distaste when she caught the aroma. The smell of smelly gym socks and rotten fruit came to her mind. "I really hope that it's not dinner."

"No, it's a vanquishing potion." Piper replied without looking up.

"So, you found Astat in the book?"

"No, but I figured whatever is good enough for his partner…" Piper backed a foot away from the pot, before tossing a small, twig-like object. A gold spark preceded the light blue mushroom cloud that rose from the pot. "… plus a little extra, will surely send his burning ass to hell."

"Uh, are you sure you're fine Piper?" Phoebe questioned, sensing a strong rage from her normally calm sister.

"Yeah, yeah, fine." Piper responded, flashing a fake smile. Piper took a pinch of a yellow powder an threw it into another pot. Suddenly, a huge boom sounded, knocking both sisters to the ground.

"Ow! Piper!" Phoebe yelled as she picked herself off the ground. "Are you crazy? You never mix those two together; the combination is so deadly." Phoebe quickly turned the exhaust fan on to rid of the slight fog. When the smoke cleared, Phoebe's jaw dropped at the scene in front of her. Piper was about to add another pinch of that stuff. She quickly took grasp of Piper's hand. "Okay, stop. I know you too well to know that you're about to do something, say… crazy-like?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That just blew us on our butts; don't you think that'll be enough? What could you be thinking?"

"I was thinking about Paige! You can't expect me to make some simple vanquishing potion as if Astat was just like any other demon."

"So, just because you're mad, you're going to recklessly blow up the kitchen?"

"I am more than mad, Phoebe, I'm furious. I think vanquishing him with a potion is too nice. I resist the urge to go down there myself, and stab him. Just he can feel what it's like to have pain, long lasting pain. I'd love to see his face twist, to see him realize his own defeat."

"But you can't do that… that's what evil does, not us."

"Seems double sided to me."

"It is… but we can't let our emotions control us." Phoebe gave Piper a hug. "Especially since Paige needs us right now."

"I'm sorry." Piper sighed. "You're right, I shouldn't have let this get to me like this."

"It's ok; I too, resist the urge to see his death with pleasure." Phoebe smiled, releasing the hug. "I'm going to go change out these clothes. I can't go demon hunting in heels."

Before Phoebe left the kitchen Piper called to her. "Hey, you're getting pretty good at this middle sister thing." She complimented.

"I learned from the best." Phoebe answered, heading to her room.

****

Paige took in the warm glow of the sun as she walked into her backyard patio. She propped her feet up on the chair next to her, and relaxed in the silence. That's when her mind began to slip into the same thoughts; the thought of Astat and Morpheus, and what they had done. The notion that Astat could return for her chilled her. The girl's scream rattled in her brain, sending Paige into an uneasy rest. Night quickly set in, allowing the cold wind to come out. Paige woke up hours later to the sound of a hooting owl. Looking around, she picked herself up and headed inside. Determined not to sleep for a long while, Paige decided on making some coffee. Placing the mug into the microwave, Paige set it for one minute. She continuously tapped her fingers on the counter as she waited, nervousness apparent in her demeanor. Quickly losing herself in her thoughts, the microwave's beep caused her to jump a little. She removed the mug, and turned around to retrieve the coffee. At that moment, she dropped her mug causing it to shatter. There, merely a few feet in front of her, he stood. Phoebe's premonition was coming true; Astat had returned for her. Paige quickly backed up to the counter, searching blindly for any knife or object to throw at him; too paralyzed with fear to orb out.. Astat took joy in her terror as he slowly and menacingly approached her. Finally, Paige let out a scream, just before he was in arm's reach, and broke a plate over his head.

**

In the attic, Piper sat flipping through the Book of Shadows, making sure that she hadn't missed any clues and Phoebe was creating a tracking spell so they could vanquish him.

"Ok, the potion is made and there's no spell required to vanquish him." Phoebe concluded, shutting the book.

"Good, that just means that this'll be over sooner. 

"Hey, whatever happened to Brooke?" Phoebe thought out loud.

"She orbed out of here hours ago. She said we could call her if we needed to." Piper answered, rememebering the false smile she had to maintain when she spoke to Brooke. "Hey, do you think we should involve Paige in the vanquish? She isn't needed to read a spell, and I think her seeing him wouldn't be good for her emotionally."

"I tend to agree with you on that, but maybe she wants closure in vanquishing his sorry ass."

"I don't know, but…" A piercing scream interrupted Piper. The two sisters looked at each other for a split second before dashing down the stairs. The sound of a shattering plate quickly alerted them to the kitchen. Before them stood a demon, they automatically assumed to be Astat, approaching a very frightened Paige.

"Hey!" Piper yelled, but it was too late for her explosive powers. Astat had grabbed Paige and shimmered out of the kitchen. "That did _not just happen!" Piper said, fuming._

"We shouldn't have left her alone. This was exactly what my premonition was trying to warn us against." Phoebe sighed, observing the broken mug and plate on the floor.

****

"Wake up, princess." Astat said, tapping Paige's face. Paige reluctantly opened her eyes to the horror. Her chest began to tighten and her breathing quicken as she took in the scene before her. The bloodstains were embedded on floor and the stiff, metal chains clanged onto her wrist. "Oh, I see you remember me." Astat smiled.

"You might have gotten away last time but this time…" Paige felt a cool, metallic metal slide into her lower abdomen, "… you won't make it out alive." Paige looked down as reality hit her. He had just stabbed her; her blood was soaking through her top.

****

A/N: There'll probably be one more chapter, which will answer most-all questions, and why I even titled this story like I did. I'll be giving out mad props (excuse the phrase, but it's stuck in my head). Umm, you know that reviewing is the cool thing to do.


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